Not So Simple
by cejuto
Summary: This is wildly AU Aldo and Lincoln come back after destroying the Company and try to build a relationship with Micheal. Contains Misa and another very strange pairing! Please let me know what you think and if you want me to continue!
1. Chapter 1

**GOVERNOR TANCREDI AND DAUGHTER 'COMPLETELY ESTRANGED'  
**A source in the Governor's office has confirmed that things have become so strained between Governor Frank Tancredi and his daughter Sara that there has been no contact between them for over a year.  
Governor Tancredi, best known for recently helping bring down the organization known as 'The Company' is believed to have stopped speaking to his daughter after she started living with her boyfriend two years ago in what was then only her first year of college.  
Sara, now 20, is pursuing a career in medicine at Northwestern University and has disagreed publicly with her father's extreme right wing views in the past, which is believed to be a contributing factor in the estrangement.  
An official spokesman for the Governor declined to comment earlier today.

Sara lowered the newspaper and looked at her boyfriend across the table who was struggling to hide a smile "Well, he will be irritated about that little leak in election year," she commented with a sigh.  
She watched as a look of concern passed over her boyfriend's usually stoic features.

"What will he try to do to save himself?" Michael asked her.  
Sara shrugged, "I will get a call in the next 24 hours telling me to appear in public with him or he will stop paying my college tuition."  
Michael looked shocked. "Wouldn't the media notice that?" He asked.  
Sara smiled, "He won't cut me off entirely but he can certainly make my life a lot more difficult" She replied.  
Michael frowned, "So you still have to play the dutiful daughter for a little while longer."  
"As do you"

Michael looked worried as Sara continued "If we appear together with him, that at least give the impression that he approves of us which means that article will be completely void." She smiled at him sadly "He won't like it and neither will you but it is good for him politically and like it or not he is going to have to get used to you because you are going to be in my life for a very long time."

One week later Jane Phillips smoothed down her hair as she waited for her entrance. Officially she was Governor Tancredi's date for the Policeman's Charity Ball as a further sign of the Governor's good faith towards the AntiCompany, unofficially however it was a further step towards voter acceptance before they announced that they were in fact an item.  
Frank paced impatiently as he waited for his daughter and her boyfriend who were getting ready in a room down the hall. "What is his name again?" He asked his closest aide Bruce Bennett.  
"Michael Scofield" Bruce replied patiently as the door opened down the hall and Jane got her first look at Frank's daughter.  
Sara was beautiful, she was wearing a lime green off the shoulder dress with her long red curls swept back by just a couple of clips and beside her, Sara's boyfriend looked especially handsome in a dark blue suit with a navy blue shirt and a green tie matching Sara's dress. Jane could already tell this attractive young couple was going to be the talk of the ball tonight.  
When Frank realized Sara was ready he turned away without even greeting her and signaled to the Master of Ceremonies that they were ready to go as Sara rolled her eyes. Once they had all settled into the head table Michael and Sara started chatting to Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith, a lovely older couple who were big financial supporters of the Governor's campaign.  
"Are you related to the Scofields from Geneva who founded the famous banks?" Mrs. Goldsmith asked politely.  
Michael laughed helplessly "I have no idea! It is my mother's name and I never had a chance to ask her about our descendants."  
"What about your father?" Mr. Goldsmith asked.  


Both Michael and Sara winced. "Not a topic you bring up in polite company" Sara told him with a smile as Michael threw a quick look in Jane's direction.  
Jane frowned as the young couple got up for the first dance, there were far too many similarities to be a coincidence.

"Unusual young man" Frank commented gruffly to Bruce.  
"Be nice," Jane reprimanded, "I think it is possible that he is Aldo Burrows younger son"  
Frank was surprised "The one they have been searching for the past couple of months?"  
"I think so" Jane replied "It all fits and it makes sense that we can't find him if he changed his name"

"We should be out there looking for Michael" Lincoln said pacing "I want to be sure he is okay"  
"Do you have any suggestions?" Aldo asked "Because it is like looking for a needle in a haystack at the moment."  
"I know where to look," Jane said walking into the room with Bruce Bennett.  
"What?!" Both Burrows men turned towards her "Where?!" "How?!" They both asked at the same time.  
Jane opened the A4 envelope she was holding and pulled out a large photo from the Charity Ball the night before "Is this him?" She asked handing Lincoln the photo.  
Lincoln's eyes widened "That is him alright," he replied as he handed the photo to his father. "What on earth was he doing at a ball?" He asked.  
"He is involved with Frank's daughter" Jane replied her eyes dancing.  
"The Governor probably wouldn't like Michael dating his daughter very much then?" Aldo asked once he got over his shock.  
Jane sighed "Frank and Sara did not say one word to each other all night"  
"Or Sara's whole life for that matter" Bruce cut in "They have just always worked around each other"  
"Where can we find him?" Lincoln asked.  
"Sara goes to Northwestern and Michael goes to Loyola," Jane told them "They live together in a one room apartment in a town called New Hope which is about halfway in between the two."  
"There is no Burrows enrolled at Loyola" Aldo said authoritatively "We checked all the local colleges."  
Jane nodded. "That is why you couldn't find him," she told them, "Michael changed his name from Burrows to Scofield"  
Aldo's eyes widened. "Christina," he whispered.

Now that they knew where to find him, Aldo and Lincoln treated Michael as they would any unknown situation. They staked out the area first before putting the apartment under constant surveillance as they argued on how to approach him. Finally two days after they had found the apartment they decided to just go and knock on the door and then just go with the flow.  
Michael and Sara lived in a apartment upstairs from a fruit and vegetable shop. Aldo and Lincoln had seen them come and go a couple of times now and had concluded that there were two entrances to the apartment, one from somewhere inside the shop and the other was a set of stairs in the back parking lot that lead to a sliding door and it was this door that Aldo and Lincoln decided to try.  
They walked up the stairs and knocked on the door which was open about two inches but they couldn't see inside as there was a heavy curtain in the way. Father and son looked at each other nervously as they heard someone approaching the door; they knew it could only be Michael as Sara was still not home.  
Aldo caught his breath as the curtain opened and he saw his younger son up close for the first time. He had seen Michael at Christina's funeral over ten years ago but had purposely kept his distance hoping that it would make it easier to walk away. He certainly couldn't take his nine year old son on the run with him as well as his fifteen year old, which had been difficult enough.  
Michael completely froze when he saw who was waiting for him, then his face hardened. "Whatever you have to say, I am not interested," He said to them in a soft but firm voice. "Go away both of you," He told them closing the curtain.  
Lincoln stared at the door incredulously for a moment before deciding that the conversation wasn't over. He put his hand on the inside of the door and tried to push it open "Michael! We need to t-" Lincoln cut himself off as he again tried to push the door which wouldn't budge. "The door won't work," he muttered before turning to his father. "What do we do now?"  
Aldo sighed and looked at the door, "We wait."  
Lincoln raised his eyebrows "This is Michael," He reminded his father "One of the most patient people on earth."  
Aldo shrugged, "Maybe he will want to talk after he has time to think."  


Michael sighed and closed his textbook; it looked like they weren't going anywhere so he was going to have to have it out with them. It might help him feel better anyway.  
Michael pressed the lever on the metal contraption that held the door in place. Then he stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Michael looked at them both his eyes hard. "Talk quickly," He commanded.  
Aldo sighed, "You know you were too young to come with us and we were hoping you wouldn't hold it against us."  
Micheal was irritated. "So why didn't you come and get me when I was old enough?" He asked.  
Aldo and Lincoln looked at each other as he asked the one thing they had never really considered. "We kept trying to find you but they moved you around a lot," Lincoln defended quickly.  
"I was damaged goods by that stage," Michael explained with distaste.  
"What do you mean - " Aldo started but Lincoln interrupted him. "You are not damaged; your life is damn well perfect," He said aggressively to his brother.  
Michael raised an eyebrow. "What do you know about my 'perfect' life Lincoln?" He asked angrily.  
Aldo put his hand on Lincoln's arm to stop him from digging an even deeper hole. "What do you mean by damaged?" He asked Michael calmly.  
Michael looked from one to the other and realized he knew one foolproof way to get rid of them. "I mean this," He said as he bent over and took his left shoe off.  
Aldo and Lincoln both gasped at the sight of where his two little toes used to be "Courtesy of a foster father on Pershing Avenue when I was eleven," he told them standing up again "Go. Away. Now." Micheal emphasized each word before walking back into his apartment and locking the door behind him.  
Aldo and Lincoln looked at each other for a long moment before simultaneously turning and starting down the stairs. "We can still fix this," Aldo said confidently; the success of fighting the Company behind them. "We just need a little more time and effort."

Needless to say, it had been quite obvious to everyone that attended the ball that the Governor and his daughter were not on speaking terms and his reelection chances were looking more difficult as his opponent emphasized 'family values'.  
So it was decided as a show of unity that for the first week of the summer holidays, Michael and Sara would be staying in the Governor's mansion. This worked in well for Aldo and Lincoln since they were still trying to get organized to go back out and live in the real world and so were still staying in the Mansion.  
The first night started off badly when Sara discovered the sleeping arrangements "You invited Michael and I, which denotes some form of acceptance," she told her father defiantly over dinner.  
"That was not my idea," Frank replied shooting Aldo a glare. "I am sure you can survive without him for one week."  
"I get nightmares without him," Sara said through gritted teeth.  
Frank waved that problem aside, "Your teddy bear is still here, Pooky."  
"It is Sooti," Michael corrected mildly as he sipped his soup.  
Frank shot him a deadly glare as he continued, "I will not have a couple of school kids sleeping together under my roof!"

Over the next four days Aldo and Lincoln did almost anything they could to have a proper conversation with Michael but were frustrated by lack of opportunity. Michael had already started his summer job and was still studying continuously and any spare moment he did have was spent with Sara.  
"Do you think Mom would be proud of the way you have handled this?" Lincoln asked bluntly one afternoon.  
Michael looked up from Sara's medical textbook that he was looking through. "Do you think she is proud of the way you have acted all these years?" He responded without missing a beat before turning a page.  
Lincoln couldn't think of a response to that as Michael answered his question "There are things I could do better, I could rise up and be the better man but I think she would be proud of some of the things I havn't done." Michael closed his book got up and left the room leaving Aldo and Lincoln with even more to think about.

Later that night Aldo smiled as he went past Michael's open door, it seemed Michael and Sara had not spent a night apart since they got here. Aldo didn't mind; they seemed to be a good match for one another and they were both old enough and mature enough not to do anything stupid.  


Aldo headed towards the kitchen not realizing he was going past Sara's door until he saw it was a little bit open as well. He paused when he heard their quiet voices and started to listen in, hoping for a little more insight into Michael.  
"You don't talk about her much," Sara's voice said quietly.  
"That is funny considering how much I think of her," Michael responded.  
"She would be proud of you."  
"You think so?"  
"Yes," Sara chuckled, "How could she not."  
"I don't know," Michael sighed. "I know I should be trying with Aldo and Lincoln but. . . the self worth and abandonment issues. . . it is just too raw"  
"This is never going to be a easy fix Michael, it may never be fixed but I know your mother would be very proud of you because only you can go through the things you have been through and still care so much about other people."  
Aldo walked away from the door feeling sick. It had only just occurred to him what Michael had really been through and he only now realized how bad their relationship really was. Maybe Sara was right maybe it could never be fixed.


	2. Chapter 2

GOVERNOR AND GIRLFRIEND, IS IT AN ACT?  
Questions have been raised about whether Governor Tancredi and his girlfriend Jane Phillips is really an item at all.  
It is no secret that the Governor is polling very far behind his opponent, as strained relations with his daughter proving unappealing with voters.  
But the fairytale like relationship with Jane Phillips, who Governor Tancredi met just three months ago has provided a small boost to the Governors election campaign. Critics say the relationship is just a publicity stunt for voters looking for a more wholesome image.  
For more turn to page six.....

It had been one week since Michael and Sara had finished their visit and gone somewhere else. Aldo and Lincoln had gone to their apartment to check they had arrived safely, but they had found the place locked up and no one home.  
Aldo and Lincoln returned back to the Governor's mansion very confused until Bruce Bennett, who always made a effort to keep in touch with Sara, had told them that Michael and Sara were spending the summer with Michael's foster parents in a quiet Chicago suburb as they both worked through the summer break.

Aldo noticed a bounce in Jane's step as she came down the stairs, "Well someone got laid last night" Lincoln commented then grimaced "Gross, I don't want that idea in my head"  
Lincoln saw Jane as a older sister and had been quite vocal in her 'hooking up with a dirty old man' as he termed it, and while Aldo had never said anything about it, he did privately agree with Lincoln on this matter.  
Jane rolled her eyes at Lincoln and turned to Aldo as Frank came into the room "We are getting married!" Jane said excitedly jumping up and down. Both Aldo and Lincoln's mouths fell open as they suddenly noticed the ring on her hand.  
"We will announce it today" Frank told them in a commanding voice.  
"Are you going to tell Sara?" Aldo asked.  
Frank shrugged "She wont care" He answered as he walked into the kitchen.  
They all looked at each other in shock as Bruce raised his voice to talk to Frank "Sir, if she hears it from a reporter instead of you, she is quite likely to tell that reporter exactly how she feels"  
Frank paused as he walked back in with his coffee cup "She would do that to me wouldn't she?" Frank commented after some thought "Alright invite her to dinner tonight, we can hold off on the announcement until tomorrow" Frank looked towards Aldo "I suppose you better invite his son as well"  
"I am sure they will both be honoured" Bruce muttered as he walked out of the room.

Michael and Sara arrived early that evening curious to find out what was happening. Bruce met them at the door "What is going on?" Sara asked him straight away.  
Bruce shook his head "I can't tell you your reactions need to be genuine but you better brace yourselves"  
At these words Michael and Sara's curiosity heightened as they followed Bruce through to the living room, where they had time to greet Aldo and Lincoln civilly before the housekeeper announced dinner.  
Predictably Michael noticed something different straight away, he looked to his left and realized Sara had not noticed. Michael thought carefully through his options before deciding to say something "That is a big ring" He commented a mere couple of seconds after they had entered the dining room.  
Sara's eyes widened as she looked at the ring on Jane's finger "That was my mothers" She commented in surprise.  
"We are engaged" Frank told them both in a tone not to be argued with.  
Michael raised his eyebrows "When is the big day?" He asked in a strange tone.  
"23rd of August" Frank replied as everyone raised their eyebrows at the quickness of the date.  
Sara actually giggled "You seriously think that he is not playing you?" She asked Jane.  
"That is enough Sara" Frank boomed from the top of the table.  
"He played my mother too" Sara continued to Jane "My mother was young enough to fall for it, romance is good for approval ratings"  
"Sara that is enough!" Frank shouted before taking a deep breath to calm down.

Aldo was surprised to see that Sara wasn't the only one having a problem with this news, next to her Aldo watched as Michael's eyes widened before hardening and looking down appearing to be deep in thought. When Michael looked up again Aldo braced himself "How is it that an older couple like yourselves are considered a fairytale happy ending while even now if Sara and I take the next step we are considered young and stupid even though we have been together ten times longer?" He asked calmly.  
Frank's reply was scathing and hurtful "Well we all know that Sara has made some amazingly stupid mistakes in the past"  
Jane watched as Sara bowed her head and set her jaw, obviously upset with the reply as was Michael on her behalf "Sometimes we need to make these mistakes so as we can learn and become better people" Michael looked at Frank levelly "And some people just keep making the same mistakes over and over again"  
Frank bristled at Michael's insinuation "I have never done anything as stupid as Sara did" He replied angrily.  
Michael raised an eyebrow "And perhaps if Sara had the support of a loving and respectful father then she wouldn't have made the choices that she did" It didn't take a genius to work out that Michael was struggling to keep his own anger in check.  
"I do not need your help to raise my daughter thank you very much!" Frank spat with disgust.  
"Well whether you did a good job or not it is done now and we definitely don't need to put up with this" Michael stood up and offered Sara his hand.  
"Thank you" Sara's gratitude to Michael was barely audible as the young couple left the room.  
Jane's gaze was hard as she looked at Frank "We need to talk" She told him in an icy tone.  
"Can we start eating now?" The always hungry Lincoln asked Aldo after Frank and Jane left the room.  
"I guess so" Aldo got up and looked out of the window as his oldest son started eating like a starved man. From the dining room window he could see Michael and Sara in the car park, it looked like she was sobbing on his shoulder and Aldo wondered what she had done in the past that was upsetting her so much now. Whatever it was, Michael was obviously willing to stand by her and support her where her own father wasn't.

After the disastrous dinner Bruce called Sara and organised a shopping trip for her and Jane. He also negotiated an unlimited budget for the ladies so after agreeing not to talk about their significant others they found they actually enjoyed each others company. They were also snapped by a news photographer which made Frank happy when it reached the front page.

The wedding was surprisingly low key with only about one hundred guests. The bride and groom only had two attendants each, Jane had Sara and a woman called Aimee from the AntiCompany while Frank had Bruce and his bodyguard Paul Kellerman attending him. Frank had also allowed just one photographer at the wedding and no other press which was lucky as it was impossible to miss the animosity between Frank and Sara.  
As Frank and Jane got up for their first dance Paul Kellerman leaned in and asked Sara something which Aldo at the closest table couldn't quite catch, it was hard to miss Sara's reply though "I would rather eat glass!"  
Aldo realized as he continued to watch Sara that he felt sorry for her, she may be the privileged only daughter of the Governor of Illinois but years of fatherly neglect had obviously taken its toll on her.  
Aldo decided not to dwell on the similarities between the young couple and their problems with their respective fathers. Aldo watched with a smile as Sara's face lit up when she saw Michael approach, Aldo chuckled as Michael bowed and offered her his hand which she accepted gracefully.  
The photographer had got tired of the newlyweds and had gone on to photograph some of the guests. Aldo watched as he zeroed in on Michael and Sara and their obvious chemistry, he frowned as he wondered what the media would make if they found out Michael was his son.

Later that night Aldo walked around some of the tables on his way back from the bathroom.

"Aldo! Aldo Burrows!"  
He looked around curiously to find a couple around his own age waving for him to come over.  
"Hello" he said politely after he navigated towards them "Have we met?"  
They both smiled and shook their head "My name is Judy Pope this is my husband Henry" they shook hands politely as Judy continued "We are... were Michael's foster parents"  
Aldo's eyebrows shot up "Can I have a seat?"  
They both nodded "There are some things you need to understand about Michael" Judy told him as he sat down.  
"Like what?" Aldo asked curiously.  
"Michael divides his life into two things, what he does and what he doesn't understand" Judy explained "Since he doesn't understand you or your reasons then he doesn't want to know and nothing will convince him otherwise"  
"So what can I do?" Aldo asked a little bit distressed.  
"He doesn't want to know you but he may want to know Lincoln" Henry Pope explained in a deep voice "And you will just have to build from there"


End file.
